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Talk:Jimmy Darmody/@comment-67.165.208.12-20120307093410
What you really have to bare in mind is that the show is about Nucky I feel like they're setting up the show to be about his struggle to retain his power in the changing climate of the 1920s, you have to remember the 20s are an odd time in American History. Wilson was one of only two democratic presidents to have held office since the end of the Civil War and he is quickly replaced by Harding Coolidge and Hoover, a succession of increasingly corrupt and incompetent presidents who were attempting a near impossible balancing act to stand on what was left of the shaky foundation of the grand old party left scarred after the vicious presidential race of 1912 which had allowed Wilson to become president in the first place. In the 1920s we see the rise of women as a voice in American politics; the voice that is responsible for the "Regulation of Morality" under the 18th Amendment. American Soldiers return home to a dry country having witnessed the horrors of truly modern warfare, and America takes to the international stage for the first time with the intention of Political and Military force projection rather than defensive action. Nucky is a Republican facing increasing scrutiny by the citizens of the United States who are beginning to wonder if their unshakeable loyalty to that party has allowed for complacency and a culture of corruption; and perhaps more disturbing while 2 parts politician Nucky is beginning to show his side as 1 part gangster as well. The killing of James seemed to me to be the final breaking point between, doing things that may not be moral but aren't illegal per se and actually breaking the law. Nucky has crossed over from simply being the most powerful and influential politician in Atlantic County to being the boss of Atlantic County, in short Nucky has made the jump from Nucky to Commodore and if he will retain that power is yet to be seen. Nucky now needs to turn his attention to getting his own house in order, Margaret's signing over of the land to the church has greatly threatened Nucky's financial future, meaning he may become all the more desperate to ensure he controls the booze trade through Atlantic City, an increasingly profitable and violent proposition. I also don't agree with the assessment that Capone is a blundering idiot, on the contrary Capone is still young, learning the ropes from his mentor, but all the properties of Capone as his powerful self are there, in particular his propensity toward violent if not particularly well thought out courses of action. No Capone will certainly make a good adversary for Nucky to face; and even if he fades others will take his place. The 20s are the period when the Italian crime families finally get their dominance and they attain that through the liquor trade they will certainly make a great rival for Nucky, and perhaps one of the most important aspects of the 1920s is the expansion of the FBI and its transformation from a small under used branch of the Department of Justice into a national law enforcement agency is sure to put Nucky in their crosshairs as well. It was put quiet simply by one of the other commentators on this page, Jimmy was a doomed character, his life was spinning out of control, he was used by others to try to attain a position of power. When he failed to live up to theirs and his own expectations of who he was supposed to be, and after the death of his wife, and his murder of his own father there was little left for Jimmy but to either die or fade into obscurity. In short, Jimmy wasn't going to last much beyond two or three episodes in season three anyway, and instead of his already slow demise being dragged out even more we are left with the knowledge that Nucky is willing to cross the line and be a villain and a murderer. Finally to comment on the settling of conflict with his brother, this says something else extremely important about Nucky as a character, while he had no love for his father, he is willing to give his brother another chance, a chance he could have also offered to Jimmy, but he didn't offer it to Jimmy, he killed him, but refrained from Killing his brother, and I think there can be only one thing taken from that, to Nucky, blood is always thicker than water. While Jimmy was like a son to Nucky, he wasn't his son, and when Jimmy turned on him it was all over the gloves were off. When Eli turned on Nucky there was still a chance for reconciliation and that's exactly what seems to have happened.